The invention relates to a milling tool which has at least one adjustably supported cutting insert.
In milling tools intended for performing particularly accurate machining operations, it is frequently a desideratum to adjust the position of the individual cutting inserts in such a manner that the cutting edges of a plurality of cutting inserts working on the same surface define a common plane upon rotation of the milling tool. For example, circumferentially spaced cutting edges disposed on the cylindrical outer periphery of a cylindrical miller or a disk miller should lie in the same cylindrical plane. Also, cutting edges which lie at an end face of the tool body should, as far as possible, lie in a common plane oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation.
It is known to adjustably support cutting inserts on a tool body, for example, by means of adjustable cassettes, such as described in European Patent No. 0 499 280 B1. The adjustable cutting insert is supported in a respective, approximately square cassette. For receiving the cassette, the tool body is provided with a cassette seat having an inclined bottom surface. In case the cassette seat is arranged at an end face of a disk-shaped tool body (i.e., an end-face cassette seat), the cassette bottom is inclined toward the end face. If, however, the cassette seat is arranged at the outer periphery of the disk-shaped tool body (i.e., a peripheral cassette seat), the bottom of the cassette seat is inclined toward the tangent of the tool body. Shifting a cassette in an end-face cassette seat thus results in an axial adjustment of the cutting insert, whereas shifting a cassette in a peripheral cassette seat results in a radial adjustment of the cutting insert. The cassette is secured to the tool body by a fastening screw which may be released as required. A cassette shift is effected by a wedge which is pressed against a terminus of the cassette and is actuated by its own setscrew.
Cassettes have a substantial spatial requirement, as a result of which a minimum distance must be observed between consecutive cutting inserts. Such a requirement limits the number of teeth.
A large number of teeth is a significant consideration in developing efficient chip-breaking tools. On the other hand, a high machining precision is sought after, particularly as concerns surfaces which are exposed to finish-machining during the milling process. Also, as concerns a uniform wear of the cutting inserts and the cutting edges, an accurate setting of those cutting edges which do not participate in the finish-machining is desired, so that, as much as possible, all participating cutting inserts remove the same chip thickness.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a milling tool having a large number of teeth and further having adjustable cutting inserts.